Manure spills are rarely a planned occurrence. Therefore, it is important to plan your emergency response methods in advance. Progressive Dairyman Editor Karen Lee reached out to three environmental experts to learn what dairy producers, farm employees and other manure handlers should be prepared to do in the event of a manure spill.

In the past, manure was thought of as a waste and hauled to the field at the expense of the livestock industry. Manure becomes a valuable resource when a farmer credits the nutrients from a manure application, which contributes to the sustainability of the farm by reducing purchased fertilizer.

“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” I have long been puzzled by the word “meek.” It is one of those elusive concepts that has no adequate definition but seems to be more important than any other attribute of Jesus.

Should I fix that aging tractor or piece of equipment or trade it (or scrap it) and purchase a new one? That has always been a daunting question and, in times of tight- to no-profit margins, that question takes on all kinds of new layers.

“Now look at the sitting room. Big sitting room, big sitting room. Very comfortable. Look at the couch there. Go ahead and sit on it. And look at the light. Lots of light, those windows. Now look at the kitchen.”

An idea to educate their city friends about life on the farm transformed the Peterson Farm Brothers from Assaria, Kansas, into internet sensations and advocates for agriculture around the world.

June is Dairy Month. Does the average person know that? Probably not. Heck, most people don’t know what a dairy is. These days, walking through the dairy aisle in a store, you would think soybeans, almonds, rice, tofu, coconuts and silk all came from cows.

Another month, another record month for U.S. dairy export volumes. And, another cloud forming over dairy in the ongoing trade war of words and tariffs.

Everyone sees the world through their own prism. The same can be said for your cows. The crux of successful dairy management is to make sure the vision of human and animal intersects for a common perception. That is, observing – and managing – your dairy from a cow’s perspective.

Reinford Farms in Mifflintown, Pennsylvania, was one of the recipients of the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy’s seventh annual U.S. Dairy Sustainability Awards. (Learn more about the award winners.)